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Havenwood University #1
Evie: Dimples & Her Devil
Evie:
Joining my brothers at Havenwood University offers the much-needed change I've been working toward. I'm expecting life on campus to challenge me; a new place, new friends, with new experiences. What I'm not expecting? To catch the eye of Max Harmon, one of Havenwood's handsome Hockey Devils. I should mention that he's also best friends and teammates with my two brothers. I don't know until it's too late just how complicated life and love at Havenwood will be.
Max:
There are perks to being the center forward for Havenwood's Hockey Devils. But none of them matter to me as much as Evie Wilton and her smile do. There's one major problem, though... well, two. She's my best friends' and teammates' sister and off-limits in every way. So why can't I get her or those dimples out of my head?
Joining my brothers at Havenwood University offers the much-needed change I've been working toward. I'm expecting life on campus to challenge me; a new place, new friends, with new experiences. What I'm not expecting? To catch the eye of Max Harmon, one of Havenwood's handsome Hockey Devils. I should mention that he's also best friends and teammates with my two brothers. I don't know until it's too late just how complicated life and love at Havenwood will be.
Max:
There are perks to being the center forward for Havenwood's Hockey Devils. But none of them matter to me as much as Evie Wilton and her smile do. There's one major problem, though... well, two. She's my best friends' and teammates' sister and off-limits in every way. So why can't I get her or those dimples out of my head?
457 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2023
67 people are currently reading
755 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
September 25, 2023
5/5 this book was phenomenal.
TROPES:
~brothers best friend
~new adult hockey romance
~anxiety & PTSD representation
~friends to lovers
Wow. This book blew me away. It's about Evie, a girl who has been through a lot. She's a triplet, her brothers are Hunter and Chase. Because of circumstances, she's been doing college online for two years and decides to go to her brothers' college to start her junior year. She has major anxiety, PTSD, and trauma from a sexual assault that happened in high school. She's determined to live for herself now, and possibly find love.
What she didn't expect was to find love with her brothers' best friend, Max. He's instantly attracted to her but hesitates to make a move. They dance around each other for weeks, with Max trying to get her comfortable around him. He tries so hard, it's so sweet!! Evie doesn't like it when guys touch her but she never really has a problem with Max.
They finally decide to go for it. What will happen when Evie's brothers find out? And what happens when a nightmare from her past makes their appearance in Evie's life again?
I genuinely loved this book SO MUCH. It deals with hard topics but in a tender, heartwarming, soul-crushing way. Max is the perfect book boyfriend. He's so gentle with Evie. Please read the trigger warnings before you dive in, there's a lot! Oh and the SPICE is PHENOMENAL! I can't wait to see what Rose Cedar writes next!!
SAFETY:
Virgin/celibate?: no virgins, but Evie has never been with another man apart from her sexual assault. Max is a manwhore but changes for her.
OM/OW?: yes, OW. Max sleeps with a crazy girl the night he meets Evie. She keeps making an appearance!
Cheating/sharing?: no
Triggers: SA, rape, physical assault, trauma, bullying, body shaming, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, flashbacks of assault, & graphic violence
Kinks: dry humping, face sitting, dirty talk, "good girl"/praise
HEA? yes!
TROPES:
~brothers best friend
~new adult hockey romance
~anxiety & PTSD representation
~friends to lovers
Wow. This book blew me away. It's about Evie, a girl who has been through a lot. She's a triplet, her brothers are Hunter and Chase. Because of circumstances, she's been doing college online for two years and decides to go to her brothers' college to start her junior year. She has major anxiety, PTSD, and trauma from a sexual assault that happened in high school. She's determined to live for herself now, and possibly find love.
What she didn't expect was to find love with her brothers' best friend, Max. He's instantly attracted to her but hesitates to make a move. They dance around each other for weeks, with Max trying to get her comfortable around him. He tries so hard, it's so sweet!! Evie doesn't like it when guys touch her but she never really has a problem with Max.
They finally decide to go for it. What will happen when Evie's brothers find out? And what happens when a nightmare from her past makes their appearance in Evie's life again?
I genuinely loved this book SO MUCH. It deals with hard topics but in a tender, heartwarming, soul-crushing way. Max is the perfect book boyfriend. He's so gentle with Evie. Please read the trigger warnings before you dive in, there's a lot! Oh and the SPICE is PHENOMENAL! I can't wait to see what Rose Cedar writes next!!
SAFETY:
Virgin/celibate?: no virgins, but Evie has never been with another man apart from her sexual assault. Max is a manwhore but changes for her.
OM/OW?: yes, OW. Max sleeps with a crazy girl the night he meets Evie. She keeps making an appearance!
Cheating/sharing?: no
Triggers: SA, rape, physical assault, trauma, bullying, body shaming, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, flashbacks of assault, & graphic violence
Kinks: dry humping, face sitting, dirty talk, "good girl"/praise
HEA? yes!
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December 19, 2025I don’t know what I was expecting out of my first hockey romance, but I know it was not this.
I think I assumed I’d be bored and caught up in the drama of teenagers. (Because I’m that asshole who makes assumptions about books before I get into them 😂🤷🏻♀️)
What this actually is at the very heart of the story is redemption.
This book showcases the ability of the human spirit to face insurmountable pain and still find a way to move ahead. In particular, we follow this human spirit who’s survived a truly horrid event, continues to struggle her way through the memories and the triggers of that event, and while she’s not magically cured of the trauma that haunts her by the end of the book, we get to see her grow into and embrace a certain level of inner strength over the course of these chapters.
While there seems to be a trend out there right now that suggests women in books should be these overly powerful, tough, little hardasses that “don’t need no man” to save them, Evie’s story is refreshing in that we get to see how she’s able to rely on love and support from SO many angles to help her along. It’s realistic and it’s relatable. Her boyfriend doesn’t save her by himself, her brothers don’t save her on their own, her therapist isn’t the only factor, her roommate doesn’t hold all the answers. And for as strong as she is, Evie is only human too. It was nice to be able to see her form all these other relationships that help guide her along toward a bit more stability and freedom.
Also…I laughed way too hard more than once at these ridiculous hockey boys and their crazy jock dynamics. Aaaaannd I learned that I might have to find out more about hockey dudes. 😵💫
I think I assumed I’d be bored and caught up in the drama of teenagers. (Because I’m that asshole who makes assumptions about books before I get into them 😂🤷🏻♀️)
What this actually is at the very heart of the story is redemption.
This book showcases the ability of the human spirit to face insurmountable pain and still find a way to move ahead. In particular, we follow this human spirit who’s survived a truly horrid event, continues to struggle her way through the memories and the triggers of that event, and while she’s not magically cured of the trauma that haunts her by the end of the book, we get to see her grow into and embrace a certain level of inner strength over the course of these chapters.
While there seems to be a trend out there right now that suggests women in books should be these overly powerful, tough, little hardasses that “don’t need no man” to save them, Evie’s story is refreshing in that we get to see how she’s able to rely on love and support from SO many angles to help her along. It’s realistic and it’s relatable. Her boyfriend doesn’t save her by himself, her brothers don’t save her on their own, her therapist isn’t the only factor, her roommate doesn’t hold all the answers. And for as strong as she is, Evie is only human too. It was nice to be able to see her form all these other relationships that help guide her along toward a bit more stability and freedom.
Also…I laughed way too hard more than once at these ridiculous hockey boys and their crazy jock dynamics. Aaaaannd I learned that I might have to find out more about hockey dudes. 😵💫
April 28, 2023
Evie’s journey of healing, rediscovering herself and finding love was beautiful. I’m typically focused on the romance aspect in the books I read but with this book I found myself gravitating towards Evie. I was proud of her when she made progress towards her goals and my heart hurt for her when she had setbacks. She really shined and I loved her determination to reach her goals.
Max stole my heart. I loved his patience and understanding with Evie. He was always there for her and despite his protectiveness he did support and encourage her to spread her wings. Plus he was completely obsessed with Evie from the start. (I love to see it)
Overall, I really enjoyed their relationship. I felt like there was a good balance between the sweet and spice scenes. And the emotional scenes between them always hit me the hardest.
The only thing that I didn’t particularly enjoy was the drama. At times I felt it was a bit too much. I would’ve rather the focus stay on Evie and her healing than veer off too much. But I’ve never been one to enjoy too much drama or angst in the books I read so it could just be a me thing.
Finally, I’d just like to say I liked the additional povs the author added. It made me connect more to the characters and got me excited for their books, especially Evie’s brothers, Hunter and Chase!
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Max stole my heart. I loved his patience and understanding with Evie. He was always there for her and despite his protectiveness he did support and encourage her to spread her wings. Plus he was completely obsessed with Evie from the start. (I love to see it)
Overall, I really enjoyed their relationship. I felt like there was a good balance between the sweet and spice scenes. And the emotional scenes between them always hit me the hardest.
The only thing that I didn’t particularly enjoy was the drama. At times I felt it was a bit too much. I would’ve rather the focus stay on Evie and her healing than veer off too much. But I’ve never been one to enjoy too much drama or angst in the books I read so it could just be a me thing.
Finally, I’d just like to say I liked the additional povs the author added. It made me connect more to the characters and got me excited for their books, especially Evie’s brothers, Hunter and Chase!
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
November 8, 2023
This was really not my cup of tea. I mean on paper it was;
College setting
FC with trauma
Playboy H
But in reality, this was overly long and had way too many plot drivers to keep me invested. First off we have Evie, who’s been through a trauma and after some much needed therapy is embarking on college, where her two brothers attend & are part of the hockey team. Their best friend Max who is a huge player, meets Evie and is instantly in love with her. This setting off a number of events, such as but not exclusive to;
His stalker seeking revenge
Her brothers rivals seeking revenge
Lots of cringey dirty talk
And that’s where I lost my interest (and my soul) I did skim read it to the end and there was drama galore, which we all know o freakin’ love by the bucketload. But here it just felt too much, considering the reasons behind the revenge.
I also hated the chapters where we got Hunter & Chase’s pov. It broke up the story of the two MC’s too much for me.
To Sum It Up: A cringe fest of schmooze that feels over stuffed and convoluted
College setting
FC with trauma
Playboy H
But in reality, this was overly long and had way too many plot drivers to keep me invested. First off we have Evie, who’s been through a trauma and after some much needed therapy is embarking on college, where her two brothers attend & are part of the hockey team. Their best friend Max who is a huge player, meets Evie and is instantly in love with her. This setting off a number of events, such as but not exclusive to;
His stalker seeking revenge
Her brothers rivals seeking revenge
Lots of cringey dirty talk
And that’s where I lost my interest (and my soul) I did skim read it to the end and there was drama galore, which we all know o freakin’ love by the bucketload. But here it just felt too much, considering the reasons behind the revenge.
I also hated the chapters where we got Hunter & Chase’s pov. It broke up the story of the two MC’s too much for me.
To Sum It Up: A cringe fest of schmooze that feels over stuffed and convoluted
May 10, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. It is a story that will have you feeling all of the feels. I have read quite a few book in my life and this is one of my all time favorites. It is one of those stories that you will always keep close to your heart.
Not only is a hockey romance but it is about the FMC, Evie, going through such a difficult but beautiful journey. Evie experiences multiple traumatic events and you get to see the rawness of healing through it. Evie has difficulty talking with others, low self-esteem, stutters, and a few other triggers but in comes Max. Max immediately feels attraction to Evie and is patient with her but does have a hard time understanding her reactions at times, not to mention that she is his best friends sister (we love this trope). Evie and her 2 brothers are triplets which is a dynamic you don’t see often and I loved, you also see them heal their relationship as well.
I loved reading the strength of Evie, but I also loved how her journey was realistic. Yes, she was a strong ass person, but she also has setbacks but understands that it is a normal part of it and continues to do her best to heal and put herself out there.
Now Evie & Max together? Perfection. Max helps Evie with a lot and the development of their relationship is what I loved the most. It didn’t feel rushed, they took the time to get to know one another, and their chemistry is off the charts. Max was so understanding throughout the whole book and it really did something to my heart.
It has Multi POV’s, Evie, Max, Hunter and Chase (Evie’s brothers), and a few from other character’s which I absolutely LOVED. I enjoyed getting the perspectives from all of the main characters and seeing how they handled everything. It also sets up the next book beautifully!
I laughed, I cried, my heart hurt, my heart swelled, literally everything. There is probably so much more I could say but I will end with this, read the damn book!
Not only is a hockey romance but it is about the FMC, Evie, going through such a difficult but beautiful journey. Evie experiences multiple traumatic events and you get to see the rawness of healing through it. Evie has difficulty talking with others, low self-esteem, stutters, and a few other triggers but in comes Max. Max immediately feels attraction to Evie and is patient with her but does have a hard time understanding her reactions at times, not to mention that she is his best friends sister (we love this trope). Evie and her 2 brothers are triplets which is a dynamic you don’t see often and I loved, you also see them heal their relationship as well.
I loved reading the strength of Evie, but I also loved how her journey was realistic. Yes, she was a strong ass person, but she also has setbacks but understands that it is a normal part of it and continues to do her best to heal and put herself out there.
Now Evie & Max together? Perfection. Max helps Evie with a lot and the development of their relationship is what I loved the most. It didn’t feel rushed, they took the time to get to know one another, and their chemistry is off the charts. Max was so understanding throughout the whole book and it really did something to my heart.
It has Multi POV’s, Evie, Max, Hunter and Chase (Evie’s brothers), and a few from other character’s which I absolutely LOVED. I enjoyed getting the perspectives from all of the main characters and seeing how they handled everything. It also sets up the next book beautifully!
I laughed, I cried, my heart hurt, my heart swelled, literally everything. There is probably so much more I could say but I will end with this, read the damn book!
July 8, 2024
ARC REVIEW
I absolutely loved this story 🩷🩷
I could not put this down, I was on the edge of my seat wanting more and was totally invested!
This is such a heartbreakingly beautiful story that absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way.
Evie and her brothers and the bond they share was amazing, all of them being overprotective and caring to a fault for one another. I'm here for it!
Evie and her heartbreaking backstory had me all up in my feelings. She is such a strong woman who showed a lot of strength and resilience, and I loved that for her.
Max I fell in love with his caring nature, level of patience, and the love he had for Evie. Protecting her and helping her gain her confidence and sense of self again.
Max & Evie's chemistry is beautiful and romantic. I loved that for them! The plot was written really well, this author has done an amazing job on this one. I fell in love with the side characters also, I can't wait to read more about them!
I absolutely loved this story 🩷🩷
I could not put this down, I was on the edge of my seat wanting more and was totally invested!
This is such a heartbreakingly beautiful story that absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way.
Evie and her brothers and the bond they share was amazing, all of them being overprotective and caring to a fault for one another. I'm here for it!
Evie and her heartbreaking backstory had me all up in my feelings. She is such a strong woman who showed a lot of strength and resilience, and I loved that for her.
Max I fell in love with his caring nature, level of patience, and the love he had for Evie. Protecting her and helping her gain her confidence and sense of self again.
Max & Evie's chemistry is beautiful and romantic. I loved that for them! The plot was written really well, this author has done an amazing job on this one. I fell in love with the side characters also, I can't wait to read more about them!
December 10, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! This was only my second ever hockey and romance and 😮💨 was it good.
The FMC was a really likeable character and SO relatable. I can almost guarantee that women out there have felt how she did, at some point in their lives. She’s not the skinny girl, she wears cute glasses, isn’t massively into going out etc, she is a small part of all of us, oh, and this girls reads romance 😏
Then she catches the eye of Max, one of Havenwood’s star hockey players. And when I tell you he broke me during his hockey tournament trying to protect her… my goodness, I couldn’t put it down.
I was hooked!
There a quite a few characters, but not once was I not interested in anyone of them. The boys brothership and the girls friendships were tightly knit, it was great to read, and now I just need to know more about what happens in their lives.
• Hockey romance
• insta love
• mental health awareness
• protective big brothers
• touch her and die
🏒
The FMC was a really likeable character and SO relatable. I can almost guarantee that women out there have felt how she did, at some point in their lives. She’s not the skinny girl, she wears cute glasses, isn’t massively into going out etc, she is a small part of all of us, oh, and this girls reads romance 😏
Then she catches the eye of Max, one of Havenwood’s star hockey players. And when I tell you he broke me during his hockey tournament trying to protect her… my goodness, I couldn’t put it down.
I was hooked!
There a quite a few characters, but not once was I not interested in anyone of them. The boys brothership and the girls friendships were tightly knit, it was great to read, and now I just need to know more about what happens in their lives.
• Hockey romance
• insta love
• mental health awareness
• protective big brothers
• touch her and die
🏒
March 13, 2023
It’s a 4.5 but since GoodReads doesn’t do .5.
I had been given a chance to be apart of Rose Cedar’s ARC team.
*Please check the trigger warnings before reading because there are some heavy and super traumatizing stuff that are talked about in detail at some point in the book.*
Now with that said, if you loved the Off-Campus/Briar U series then this is definitely right up your alley. It gave me The Deal vibes mixed with a little bit of The Chase. I’m gonna try and not spoil it by giving too much away, but I really loved how Evie found herself despite everything that happened to her and I mean she had some pretty messed up stuff happen. She felt that she was ready to take on life and finally move forward so she decides to go to the same college as her brothers little did she know she’d fall for their best friend and teammate, Max. For the first half of the book, I was feeling super giddy and would even catch myself smiling at so many interactions between Evie and Max sometimes even between the hockey boys as well, but by the second half I would literally find myself having to wipe away tears so it’s safe to say that this book took me by surprise with the different emotions I felt. Next, I have to make it known that .. I absolutely adore Max Harmon. He has definitely made the list for book boyfriends. The way he was super patient with Evie from the start without even knowing what she had gone through made my heart melt. The only thing I would say is that I felt like there were too many POVs for me in one book and don’t get me wrong I love dual POV books, but I felt that having six was a bit much and made my brain overload. Although I wouldn’t have minded the sneak peeks of just her brothers’ views but I felt like it didn’t have to be both every time maybe one at a time would’ve suffice. I did love the relationship between the three siblings and the protectiveness of the brothers (it reminded me of mine having three brothers myself) - I can’t wait for their books!
So I think it’s pretty obvious that the bar has been set pretty high for this series for me and has definitely fulfilled my college hockey romance void … oh and not to mention there is SPICE. 😏🌶️
I had been given a chance to be apart of Rose Cedar’s ARC team.
*Please check the trigger warnings before reading because there are some heavy and super traumatizing stuff that are talked about in detail at some point in the book.*
Now with that said, if you loved the Off-Campus/Briar U series then this is definitely right up your alley. It gave me The Deal vibes mixed with a little bit of The Chase. I’m gonna try and not spoil it by giving too much away, but I really loved how Evie found herself despite everything that happened to her and I mean she had some pretty messed up stuff happen. She felt that she was ready to take on life and finally move forward so she decides to go to the same college as her brothers little did she know she’d fall for their best friend and teammate, Max. For the first half of the book, I was feeling super giddy and would even catch myself smiling at so many interactions between Evie and Max sometimes even between the hockey boys as well, but by the second half I would literally find myself having to wipe away tears so it’s safe to say that this book took me by surprise with the different emotions I felt. Next, I have to make it known that .. I absolutely adore Max Harmon. He has definitely made the list for book boyfriends. The way he was super patient with Evie from the start without even knowing what she had gone through made my heart melt. The only thing I would say is that I felt like there were too many POVs for me in one book and don’t get me wrong I love dual POV books, but I felt that having six was a bit much and made my brain overload. Although I wouldn’t have minded the sneak peeks of just her brothers’ views but I felt like it didn’t have to be both every time maybe one at a time would’ve suffice. I did love the relationship between the three siblings and the protectiveness of the brothers (it reminded me of mine having three brothers myself) - I can’t wait for their books!
So I think it’s pretty obvious that the bar has been set pretty high for this series for me and has definitely fulfilled my college hockey romance void … oh and not to mention there is SPICE. 😏🌶️
April 23, 2023
Max & Evie have made a home in my heart and I adore them. This is a college hockey romance full of trauma survival, brothers’ best friend, steam and the sweetest romance. Max is the most swoon worthy book boyfriend.
I really enjoyed this story and the multiple POV chapters throughout. Not only do you read from the main characters point of views but also her brothers.
Evie is a survivor and overcoming some mental health challenges throughout the book when she meets Max at college. Max falls hard and fast first and is seriously so sweet and patient. There is a dash of drama woven throughout that will keep you on the edge of your seat as to what happens next. Evie’s character goes through so much but she comes out even stronger in the end and stands up for herself with her family and Max. Proving life can beat you down but it is possible to get back up and thrive.
I would definitely recommend this book if you love a college hockey romance, strong FMCs, journeys to self love and supportive boyfriends. 🖤
Please check the content warnings as this does cover some potentially triggering situations.
Thank you to Rose for letting me read an ARC of this for my review!
I really enjoyed this story and the multiple POV chapters throughout. Not only do you read from the main characters point of views but also her brothers.
Evie is a survivor and overcoming some mental health challenges throughout the book when she meets Max at college. Max falls hard and fast first and is seriously so sweet and patient. There is a dash of drama woven throughout that will keep you on the edge of your seat as to what happens next. Evie’s character goes through so much but she comes out even stronger in the end and stands up for herself with her family and Max. Proving life can beat you down but it is possible to get back up and thrive.
I would definitely recommend this book if you love a college hockey romance, strong FMCs, journeys to self love and supportive boyfriends. 🖤
Please check the content warnings as this does cover some potentially triggering situations.
Thank you to Rose for letting me read an ARC of this for my review!
April 28, 2023
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Triggers: Sexual Assault & Violence
I cannot give Evie: Dimples & her Devil enough stars. I loved this story from start to finish.
Rose Cedar wrote characters that were so raw and real, that I felt their emotional struggles and accomplishments as I read them. Evie and Max’s story was so sweet and touching and the side characters all were so wonderfully written.
Each character not only has their own struggles to overcome, but has their own stories to tell and I cannot wait to read them in Rose Cedars Havenwood University series.
I have already recommended this book to so many people and will continue to do so. Thank you Rose Cedar for the opportunity to ARC read this incredible story.
Triggers: Sexual Assault & Violence
I cannot give Evie: Dimples & her Devil enough stars. I loved this story from start to finish.
Rose Cedar wrote characters that were so raw and real, that I felt their emotional struggles and accomplishments as I read them. Evie and Max’s story was so sweet and touching and the side characters all were so wonderfully written.
Each character not only has their own struggles to overcome, but has their own stories to tell and I cannot wait to read them in Rose Cedars Havenwood University series.
I have already recommended this book to so many people and will continue to do so. Thank you Rose Cedar for the opportunity to ARC read this incredible story.
March 12, 2023
I am rating this a 4.5 stars. I have read many hockey sports romance books so I definitely was interested in reading this book. As soon as I started it, I couldn't put it down and finished it in a few hours. Evie's story is one of pain and trauma, redemption, and in the love that she finds with Max. The characters were well developed especially getting to read about the backstory of the main characters. The only thing that was different for me was the word "triplet-hood". I wasn't used to seeing that used as a term for the siblings relationship so that through me off a bit, but I understand why it was used. Overall, those who read this book will certainly look forward to reading more books in the Havenwood University universe.
I received an advanced readers copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advanced readers copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 19, 2023
Truly enjoyed this story of love and healing.
Evie is a FMC that has been through some traumatic events in her life and finally feels like she's able to move on. She does this when she starts college at Havenwoods, makes some new friends, and catches the eye of Max--the star player on the Havenhood hockey team and best friend of her brothers. She isn't his usual type and Evie is struggling to overcome trauma and the resulting social anxiety, but he can't stay away. This is a "he falls first" that is adorable from the off, but check your trigger warnings as there are some heavy topics.
Can't wait to read Chase's book--he was my favorite.
Evie is a FMC that has been through some traumatic events in her life and finally feels like she's able to move on. She does this when she starts college at Havenwoods, makes some new friends, and catches the eye of Max--the star player on the Havenhood hockey team and best friend of her brothers. She isn't his usual type and Evie is struggling to overcome trauma and the resulting social anxiety, but he can't stay away. This is a "he falls first" that is adorable from the off, but check your trigger warnings as there are some heavy topics.
Can't wait to read Chase's book--he was my favorite.
March 13, 2023
I am giving this book 4 stars! I received an ARC copy, for an honest review!
Evie has been through a lot in the last few years, and her fresh start at a new school where her triplet brothers attend seems like the perfect start. She meets their roommate aka max and their connection is instant as he noticed her for the first time. They have some battles and obstacles to face ahead but will they be strong enough to make it through?
The only part that threw me off was the A, B, and C that the triplets called each other. At times, it was hard to remember who was who but overall it was enjoyable and I’m always down for a hockey romance read! I look forward to getting to know the havenwood boys more! 🏒
Evie has been through a lot in the last few years, and her fresh start at a new school where her triplet brothers attend seems like the perfect start. She meets their roommate aka max and their connection is instant as he noticed her for the first time. They have some battles and obstacles to face ahead but will they be strong enough to make it through?
The only part that threw me off was the A, B, and C that the triplets called each other. At times, it was hard to remember who was who but overall it was enjoyable and I’m always down for a hockey romance read! I look forward to getting to know the havenwood boys more! 🏒
October 26, 2023
This book was delightful! I could not put it down! I was sucked in by Evie and her story. She was so brave and courageous.
It was hard to read what Evie had been through, but I really enjoyed seeing her persevere and find the strength to get through. It was remarkable to see the people who surrounded and protected her.
I loved seeing Max become obsessed and enamored with Evie. He really turned into quite a simp for her, and I ate it up. Their chemistry was so stinkin adorable and steamy it made my heart hurt!
Rose did such a beautiful job of sucking me into the story and keeping me invested!! I can't wait for each of Evie's brothers' stories!!
"𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓼 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓷𝓸 𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓪 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓼."
It was hard to read what Evie had been through, but I really enjoyed seeing her persevere and find the strength to get through. It was remarkable to see the people who surrounded and protected her.
I loved seeing Max become obsessed and enamored with Evie. He really turned into quite a simp for her, and I ate it up. Their chemistry was so stinkin adorable and steamy it made my heart hurt!
Rose did such a beautiful job of sucking me into the story and keeping me invested!! I can't wait for each of Evie's brothers' stories!!
"𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓼 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓷𝓸 𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓪 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓼."
April 18, 2023
my goodness 🥺 this book was so good I have no words. I was 18% in when I knew this was going to be a 5 stars read and it did not disappoint.
you NEED to read this book right now. I mean it, stop everything you are doing and add this book to your TBR.
this is more than a hockey romance with some of my favourite tropes. this is a book about love, friendship, growing, recovering and finding yourself.
I absolutely loved every character in this book (well, exceptions apply here, of course) but Evie and Max completely have my heart.
Evie is so strong and deserves everything and Max is cute and swoony. I loved to see Evie grow and healing from her past and I loved how her journey was portrayed throughout the book.
I loved the relationship Evie has with her brothers and can’t wait to read their stories.
please please check the trigger warnings for this book before reading. I found that all the topics were addressed with great respect and made the story better and the characters stronger.
read this book if you love:
✨ hockey romance
✨ brothers’ best friend
✨ he falls first
✨ college romance
✨ a little bit of found family
TWs: sexual assault; rape; physical assault; trauma; bullying; boy shaming; name calling; depression; anxiety.
thank you BookSirens and Rose Cedar for the ARC for this book 🫶🏻
you NEED to read this book right now. I mean it, stop everything you are doing and add this book to your TBR.
this is more than a hockey romance with some of my favourite tropes. this is a book about love, friendship, growing, recovering and finding yourself.
I absolutely loved every character in this book (well, exceptions apply here, of course) but Evie and Max completely have my heart.
Evie is so strong and deserves everything and Max is cute and swoony. I loved to see Evie grow and healing from her past and I loved how her journey was portrayed throughout the book.
I loved the relationship Evie has with her brothers and can’t wait to read their stories.
please please check the trigger warnings for this book before reading. I found that all the topics were addressed with great respect and made the story better and the characters stronger.
read this book if you love:
✨ hockey romance
✨ brothers’ best friend
✨ he falls first
✨ college romance
✨ a little bit of found family
TWs: sexual assault; rape; physical assault; trauma; bullying; boy shaming; name calling; depression; anxiety.
thank you BookSirens and Rose Cedar for the ARC for this book 🫶🏻
October 23, 2023
This book gave me ALL the feels. I literally COULDNT put it down!! I'm in LOVE with this world Rose created. I love Evie she is such a warrior and has overcome so much. When I first met max to who he turns into 🥵 Evie opens his heart and his mind he had a one track mind before Evie came into his life. Max is just perfection. Ugh LEXI she got what she deserved what a BITCHHHH. She disgusted me and I have had SO many bullies in my life that she is the EPITOME of and to see her not get “her man” and karma BITE her in the ass was sooo satisfying!!!!! I can’t wait to read more and see A & C hopefully overcome their shortcomings. Hunter has DEMONS and Chase needs to forgive himself and realize he is WORTHY. Sloan and Drew are 100% My favorite side characters especially Drew with him being described as a HUGE guy and a football player he is such a softy and I’m LIVING for it. He melts my heart with how much he cares for Evie and his friendship with Max. EDI!! That lil firecracker is gonna be so much fun in the future I can feel it she intrigued me the SECOND she showed up on the page. Rose thank you for my new book boyfriend forever painting #16 Harmon on my face 😂🥰
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2023
Evie’s story is one of survivorship and Rose Cedar wrote it beautifully. Evie’s got a crushing backstory, but when we meet her she’s headed to Havenwood to reunite with her brothers and reclaim her life. She put in the work and she’s ready to experience college—make friends and maybe even fall in love. She isn’t expecting is Max Harmon the king of no repeats to trip over her shy demeanor and dimples on his path to turning into a total simp for Evie. The bad news? Max Harmon is one her over protective brothers best friends and teammates and they are so not going to be on board, but our hockey god in shining skates doesn’t care because he knows Evie’s it for him and he’ll take the heat. But when darker things lurk in the background can this crew weather the coming storm?
Rose Cedar’s debut was beautifully written. Evie’s character was so compelling. She was such a strong character despite what she’d experienced that I was just so freaking proud of her that she brought me to tears at one point. Max is such a sweetheart with Evie— the way his character’s brain worked totally made sense to me. I loved him. I adored them together. The side characters, which are really just future main characters in my opinion are well thought out and make sense plot wise. I’m excited to see where this series goes and to catch more snippets of Max and Evie throughout other stories.
Rose Cedar’s debut was beautifully written. Evie’s character was so compelling. She was such a strong character despite what she’d experienced that I was just so freaking proud of her that she brought me to tears at one point. Max is such a sweetheart with Evie— the way his character’s brain worked totally made sense to me. I loved him. I adored them together. The side characters, which are really just future main characters in my opinion are well thought out and make sense plot wise. I’m excited to see where this series goes and to catch more snippets of Max and Evie throughout other stories.
March 13, 2023
Did someone say hockey romance? Yes please!
Evie and Max were the perfect sports romance couple in every way!
Evie is struggling to overcome a traumatic experience that took place three years ago. Thankfully, she is a triplet and has two very protective brothers (Hunter and Chase) who will do anything to keep her safe. She attends college with her brothers, who have made it clear to all the guys on their hockey team that Evie is off limits.
Well guess who didn't get that message? Max. He notices Evie immediately but instead of pouncing on her and scaring her away, he takes his time with her, warming her up to the idea of him. Let's just say he fully takes care of Evie.
There's a lot of suspense in this novel which will keep you turning each page with anticipation for what is to come! The author did a fantastic job of portraying the realistic effects of anxiety, making you want to give Evie a hug.
-Multiple POV
-Anxiety rep
-College hockey
-First in series
-Brothers best friend
-Spice
Evie and Max were the perfect sports romance couple in every way!
Evie is struggling to overcome a traumatic experience that took place three years ago. Thankfully, she is a triplet and has two very protective brothers (Hunter and Chase) who will do anything to keep her safe. She attends college with her brothers, who have made it clear to all the guys on their hockey team that Evie is off limits.
Well guess who didn't get that message? Max. He notices Evie immediately but instead of pouncing on her and scaring her away, he takes his time with her, warming her up to the idea of him. Let's just say he fully takes care of Evie.
There's a lot of suspense in this novel which will keep you turning each page with anticipation for what is to come! The author did a fantastic job of portraying the realistic effects of anxiety, making you want to give Evie a hug.
-Multiple POV
-Anxiety rep
-College hockey
-First in series
-Brothers best friend
-Spice
March 25, 2023
4.5⭐️
I want to start by saying know your triggers and check the trigger warnings (second pic). This book is heavy, gets dark and graphic at certain points. Trigger warnings are there for a reason - look after yourself!
This book was my first foray into Hockey Romance, and I could not put it down!
I was gripped from the start, I adore Evie and felt I could relate to her in many ways. She was real and raw and so freaking strong. Her story is one of trauma, healing, and embracing her survivorship.
The relationship between Max and Evie felt real and developed naturally. He built her up, supported her and saw her strength, for the most part.
The spice was 👌🥵 I'll admit I didn't see some of it coming and applaud Evie for her sex positivity!
I enjoyed the multi POV's and really hope to see more of some of these characters in Rose's future works. I need to see Hunter put in his place 😉
I want to start by saying know your triggers and check the trigger warnings (second pic). This book is heavy, gets dark and graphic at certain points. Trigger warnings are there for a reason - look after yourself!
This book was my first foray into Hockey Romance, and I could not put it down!
I was gripped from the start, I adore Evie and felt I could relate to her in many ways. She was real and raw and so freaking strong. Her story is one of trauma, healing, and embracing her survivorship.
The relationship between Max and Evie felt real and developed naturally. He built her up, supported her and saw her strength, for the most part.
The spice was 👌🥵 I'll admit I didn't see some of it coming and applaud Evie for her sex positivity!
I enjoyed the multi POV's and really hope to see more of some of these characters in Rose's future works. I need to see Hunter put in his place 😉
March 16, 2023
This is a beautiful story about healing, family and love.
I loved how the author wrote about going through a traumatic experience and the steps back, hurt and healing were written. It makes the healing process really realistic.
Evie is an amazingly strong characters. She goes through tremendous heartbreak.
She is not only in it. Her two brothers are doing everything to protect her and atone for their actions. The bond between the triplets has also their own healing story.
The dynamic between Max and Evie is lovely. Max wants to do everything for Evie and Evie finds her hapiness in Max. Though they have their misunderstandings. They have to go individual to be a better pair together.
I really like that the story is has seperated pov. You get even more engaged with their story because you read about the different kind of emotions and thought the various characters have of the same part of the story.
I am really excited to read the next story of Havenwood University!
I loved how the author wrote about going through a traumatic experience and the steps back, hurt and healing were written. It makes the healing process really realistic.
Evie is an amazingly strong characters. She goes through tremendous heartbreak.
She is not only in it. Her two brothers are doing everything to protect her and atone for their actions. The bond between the triplets has also their own healing story.
The dynamic between Max and Evie is lovely. Max wants to do everything for Evie and Evie finds her hapiness in Max. Though they have their misunderstandings. They have to go individual to be a better pair together.
I really like that the story is has seperated pov. You get even more engaged with their story because you read about the different kind of emotions and thought the various characters have of the same part of the story.
I am really excited to read the next story of Havenwood University!
June 19, 2024
wow that was a roller coaster
July 28, 2024
I don't know what to rate this. There are parts that I truly loved. There were a couple of choppy bits. And the pieces around the final attack seem completely unrealistic.
April 28, 2023
Updated review: The author took many things into consideration and did a rewrite to improve her book. She fixed the issues I had with the nicknames as well as taking out the problematic multiple POVS. I have bumped my rating to a 4 after reading the rewrite. Can't wait to read more of this series!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please read all trigger warnings for this book as it does address a graphic sexual assault.
Update to review: The author took many things into consideration and did a rewrite to improve her book. She fixed the issues I had with the nicknames as well as taking out the problematic multiple POVS. I have bumped my rating to a 4.5 after reading the rewrite. Can't wait to read more of this series!
Evie is trying to start over after a traumatic sexual assault three years before. She is a middle triplet and starts to attend Havenwood University where her brothers play hockey. Max is their best friend and teammate who is notorious for one night stands because he doesn’t want a relationship to interfere with his NHL dreams. Evie and Max find themselves falling for each other and work to overcome the obstacles that their relationship faces.
I really enjoyed these characters and the depiction of Evie’s anxiety and panic attacks was very well done and believable. Max was the perfect example of someone who doesn’t know what he wants until he finds it. I love how patient Max is with Evie – he really endears himself to the reader. I also enjoyed the relationship between Evie and her brothers, as well as her relationship with her roommate, Sloane. The thread of the main storyline was interesting and kept me wanting to read more. The author does set up pretty heavily for more books in the series. I did not mind the graphic explanation of the sexual assault as I feel it was necessary for the story and to understand Evie’s anxiety. I actually think it was well done considering the horrific nature of the assault.
The reasons this is a 3.5 star read for me is that sometimes the dialogue/inner monologue got a little repetitive and corny. I love nicknames characters give each other, but it loses luster if they are overused. Also, while I enjoyed the multiple POVs of Max, Evie and her brothers, I could have done without the mean girl’s POV. I think all of that could have been (and essentially was) conveyed through dialogue and interaction.
Overall, I think this is a nice addition to the hockey romance genre and I did enjoy reading it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please read all trigger warnings for this book as it does address a graphic sexual assault.
Update to review: The author took many things into consideration and did a rewrite to improve her book. She fixed the issues I had with the nicknames as well as taking out the problematic multiple POVS. I have bumped my rating to a 4.5 after reading the rewrite. Can't wait to read more of this series!
Evie is trying to start over after a traumatic sexual assault three years before. She is a middle triplet and starts to attend Havenwood University where her brothers play hockey. Max is their best friend and teammate who is notorious for one night stands because he doesn’t want a relationship to interfere with his NHL dreams. Evie and Max find themselves falling for each other and work to overcome the obstacles that their relationship faces.
I really enjoyed these characters and the depiction of Evie’s anxiety and panic attacks was very well done and believable. Max was the perfect example of someone who doesn’t know what he wants until he finds it. I love how patient Max is with Evie – he really endears himself to the reader. I also enjoyed the relationship between Evie and her brothers, as well as her relationship with her roommate, Sloane. The thread of the main storyline was interesting and kept me wanting to read more. The author does set up pretty heavily for more books in the series. I did not mind the graphic explanation of the sexual assault as I feel it was necessary for the story and to understand Evie’s anxiety. I actually think it was well done considering the horrific nature of the assault.
The reasons this is a 3.5 star read for me is that sometimes the dialogue/inner monologue got a little repetitive and corny. I love nicknames characters give each other, but it loses luster if they are overused. Also, while I enjoyed the multiple POVs of Max, Evie and her brothers, I could have done without the mean girl’s POV. I think all of that could have been (and essentially was) conveyed through dialogue and interaction.
Overall, I think this is a nice addition to the hockey romance genre and I did enjoy reading it.
April 19, 2023
The second I saw the ice skates on the cover I was sold 😅
** definitely check the trigger warnings before picking this one up. It’s a beautifully written book that deals with some very hard and traumatic things. Protect your heart however you need **
Evie’s story gives a raw, emotional portrayal of what it looks like to be living in the “after” of a traumatic event. Cedar dives into what healing looks like through family relationships, romantic entanglements, and—most importantly—healing from within. The multiple POVs in the story help you to truly have a well rounded view of feelings and experiences from all sides which I enjoyed. In his first chapter, Max and I were not buddies, BUT he won my heart with the care, respect, and patience he treated Evie with before even knowing the half of what she’d been through. Definitely a hockey romance to remember 💜
*** I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review***
** definitely check the trigger warnings before picking this one up. It’s a beautifully written book that deals with some very hard and traumatic things. Protect your heart however you need **
Evie’s story gives a raw, emotional portrayal of what it looks like to be living in the “after” of a traumatic event. Cedar dives into what healing looks like through family relationships, romantic entanglements, and—most importantly—healing from within. The multiple POVs in the story help you to truly have a well rounded view of feelings and experiences from all sides which I enjoyed. In his first chapter, Max and I were not buddies, BUT he won my heart with the care, respect, and patience he treated Evie with before even knowing the half of what she’d been through. Definitely a hockey romance to remember 💜
*** I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review***
May 6, 2023
,B.Such an amazing hockey romance read!!!
I love hockey romances, and EVIE: DIMPLES & HER DEVIL was my first read from Author Rose Cedar. And while the title did absolutely nothing to entice me to read the book, and to be honest, I’d left it languishing in my kindle for some time, it was one helluva dark horse that bolted out of nowhere and took me for a huge and addictive ride. Wow, I have so much that I want to express about how emotionally draining AND full-filling this beautifully written book was, but I know my review will be sadly lacking. Ms Cedar packed a lot into this first book in her Havenwood University series. It’s full of angst, hurt, isolation, unconditional love, understanding and most important of all, healing.
She’s also given multi-POV with perspectives not only from our main characters Evie aka Dimples and Max, but Evie’s brothers and even the mean-girl who thinks that Max should be hers.
Her trigger warnings are spot on but Evie’s story is told with a sympathetic and factual voice and in my mind, there was no gratuitous excesses in the telling of what she went through. Every word, every POV is integral to the story. SA also has a ripple effect on the family and those around the victim, and Ms Cedar’s Point-Of-Difference is where she brings this as a very strong plot point, including the guilt that her brothers carry and the taunts from the unrepentant perpetrators in a fight scene. No more from me, but just know that this is a story that doesn’t brush over the far-reaching damage that occurs.
Evie is a young woman who has been through the worst of experiences and this is her story of her fight to be seen not as a victim but as a survivor. She’s the middle of fraternal triplets who have had a tenuous start to life, and I could wax-lyrical about that alone. Their bond had been strong and steady, and again, the damage was revealed throughout as they worked to recover from the event around which this book is centred. I loved Evie’s character and her backbone, and again, I have to praise the voice Ms Cedar gave to her. Every hurt anxiety-ridden nuance was revealed.
Max is team-mate and best friends with Evie’s brothers, and he had a rep with the ladies same as the boys did meaning that they viewed him and any other of their team as off-limits. Once Max laid his eyes on the beauty who was revealed to be their sister, he was smitten. He was a beautifully written book boyfriend and champion of Evie’s, and I loved him to pieces. Even more so when she flourished and healed under his watch.
Hunter and Chase as Evie’s older and younger brothers were over-protective of her. The emotion in their thoughts was stronger than their expressed words, as it should be, and this is where having the multi-POV approach to the book really shone. Hearing the demons that Evie’s brothers carried with them was absolutely heart-breaking. They have so much healing and self-forgiveness to accomplish, meaning that as a reader I am emotionally invested in wanting to see them get their own HEA’s. It is imperative that I be reading their books!
I felt the writing didn’t flow as smooth as it could do, but that didn’t change the way I rated this book at all. Kudos to Ms Cedar for writing this difficult book that by it’s contents alone risks remaining unread by the demographic of readers who avoid TW’s like the plague. Evie’s story NEEDS to be read. The stats for SA among women are damning, we all know that, but if a reader CAN make the leap past the TW’s, then they just might find the voice of acknowledgment and understanding that they too are strong survivors, and that their voices deserve to be heard.
I’m glad EVIE: DIMPLES & HER DEVIL showed up in my reading offers from Book-Sirens. Thanks to them and Ms Cedar for the opportunity have read Evie’s book. 5-Heartfelt-Stars 🌟⭐️🌟
#mumsalwaysreading #bookblogger #bookreviewer #marnsreads #marnsj
I love hockey romances, and EVIE: DIMPLES & HER DEVIL was my first read from Author Rose Cedar. And while the title did absolutely nothing to entice me to read the book, and to be honest, I’d left it languishing in my kindle for some time, it was one helluva dark horse that bolted out of nowhere and took me for a huge and addictive ride. Wow, I have so much that I want to express about how emotionally draining AND full-filling this beautifully written book was, but I know my review will be sadly lacking. Ms Cedar packed a lot into this first book in her Havenwood University series. It’s full of angst, hurt, isolation, unconditional love, understanding and most important of all, healing.
She’s also given multi-POV with perspectives not only from our main characters Evie aka Dimples and Max, but Evie’s brothers and even the mean-girl who thinks that Max should be hers.
Her trigger warnings are spot on but Evie’s story is told with a sympathetic and factual voice and in my mind, there was no gratuitous excesses in the telling of what she went through. Every word, every POV is integral to the story. SA also has a ripple effect on the family and those around the victim, and Ms Cedar’s Point-Of-Difference is where she brings this as a very strong plot point, including the guilt that her brothers carry and the taunts from the unrepentant perpetrators in a fight scene. No more from me, but just know that this is a story that doesn’t brush over the far-reaching damage that occurs.
Evie is a young woman who has been through the worst of experiences and this is her story of her fight to be seen not as a victim but as a survivor. She’s the middle of fraternal triplets who have had a tenuous start to life, and I could wax-lyrical about that alone. Their bond had been strong and steady, and again, the damage was revealed throughout as they worked to recover from the event around which this book is centred. I loved Evie’s character and her backbone, and again, I have to praise the voice Ms Cedar gave to her. Every hurt anxiety-ridden nuance was revealed.
Max is team-mate and best friends with Evie’s brothers, and he had a rep with the ladies same as the boys did meaning that they viewed him and any other of their team as off-limits. Once Max laid his eyes on the beauty who was revealed to be their sister, he was smitten. He was a beautifully written book boyfriend and champion of Evie’s, and I loved him to pieces. Even more so when she flourished and healed under his watch.
Hunter and Chase as Evie’s older and younger brothers were over-protective of her. The emotion in their thoughts was stronger than their expressed words, as it should be, and this is where having the multi-POV approach to the book really shone. Hearing the demons that Evie’s brothers carried with them was absolutely heart-breaking. They have so much healing and self-forgiveness to accomplish, meaning that as a reader I am emotionally invested in wanting to see them get their own HEA’s. It is imperative that I be reading their books!
I felt the writing didn’t flow as smooth as it could do, but that didn’t change the way I rated this book at all. Kudos to Ms Cedar for writing this difficult book that by it’s contents alone risks remaining unread by the demographic of readers who avoid TW’s like the plague. Evie’s story NEEDS to be read. The stats for SA among women are damning, we all know that, but if a reader CAN make the leap past the TW’s, then they just might find the voice of acknowledgment and understanding that they too are strong survivors, and that their voices deserve to be heard.
I’m glad EVIE: DIMPLES & HER DEVIL showed up in my reading offers from Book-Sirens. Thanks to them and Ms Cedar for the opportunity have read Evie’s book. 5-Heartfelt-Stars 🌟⭐️🌟
#mumsalwaysreading #bookblogger #bookreviewer #marnsreads #marnsj
April 28, 2023
I am an absolute sucker for a hockey romance, so I was super excited to read this new release!
Evie has been on a healing journey for many years. She went through a severely traumatic assault, and while her brothers went away to college, she stayed home to try to piece her life back together. She's finally read to spread her wings, so she enrolls in school to be with her brothers, get out in the world, and conquer her fears. She is a romance book lover, and wants to be in a relationship, but has some fear surrounding that for obvious reasons. On top of that, her brothers blame themselves for her assault, so they are incredibly protective of her. So dating any of their friends is off the table. But when she meets Max, she is drawn to him that can't be denied.
Max is a star player on the hockey team, best friends with Evie's brothers, and total player. He hooks up all the time, never making commitments and has a one-time policy in place for his hook-ups. That is, until he meets Evie. She captures his eye immediately, and becomes an absolute simp for her. It's pretty adorable how he changes from playboy to devoted boyfriend.
I love the relationship between Evie and Max. It starts as an attraction, and they slowly get to know one another and their feelings develop over time. They have many conversations via text message which are super cute and flirty, and it's adorable.
You definitely want to check trigger warnings before reading this. While Evie is on her healing journey, there are descriptions of her assault which is incredibly traumatic, as well as an assault that occurs in present time. A few issues I have with this though. Her brothers take it upon themselves to lie to Evie about things that directly affect her. They make assumptions about her mental capacity and strength, and they smother her with overprotectiveness. I also really disliked the fact that they shared her story with their friends/teammates without asking her first… circle back to lying to her and being over protective.
Her brothers, while they have good intensions, really don’t seem like great guys. You learn what they did to trigger the events that led to her assault in high school. But you also learn that they too, like to fuck around and have constant hook-ups at school. To me it felt like they really didn’t learn anything about themselves as a result of what happened to Evie and just forged forward without thinking about their behavior and how it can negatively impact people in many different ways.
While the book is primarily told from Evie and Max's POV, we get chapters sprinkled in from the perspective of Chase and Hunter (the brothers), and Edi (Hunter's math tutor). While I'm all for multi-POV narration, these chapters weren't frequent enough that they felt natural with the story. I found myself being distracted by their chapters and they just felt like they didn’t quite fit.
The multi-POVs also add to the length of the book. At 457 pages… I feel it definitely could have been edited down to be shorter. This could have been done by eliminating those additional chapters, as well as not writing chapters from Evie and Max's POV of the same timeframe. It felt like going backwards in the story at times.
Overall, this was a good story with unique characters, and a well done healing journey with our main character Evie. Despite my dislikes, these were small on the scale of things and I'd still recommend this book!
I received an advanced copy of this ebook, but the review is my own.
Tags: sports romance, hockey romance, brothers best friend, secret relationship, guy falls first
Spice: 3 peppers
Evie has been on a healing journey for many years. She went through a severely traumatic assault, and while her brothers went away to college, she stayed home to try to piece her life back together. She's finally read to spread her wings, so she enrolls in school to be with her brothers, get out in the world, and conquer her fears. She is a romance book lover, and wants to be in a relationship, but has some fear surrounding that for obvious reasons. On top of that, her brothers blame themselves for her assault, so they are incredibly protective of her. So dating any of their friends is off the table. But when she meets Max, she is drawn to him that can't be denied.
Max is a star player on the hockey team, best friends with Evie's brothers, and total player. He hooks up all the time, never making commitments and has a one-time policy in place for his hook-ups. That is, until he meets Evie. She captures his eye immediately, and becomes an absolute simp for her. It's pretty adorable how he changes from playboy to devoted boyfriend.
I love the relationship between Evie and Max. It starts as an attraction, and they slowly get to know one another and their feelings develop over time. They have many conversations via text message which are super cute and flirty, and it's adorable.
You definitely want to check trigger warnings before reading this. While Evie is on her healing journey, there are descriptions of her assault which is incredibly traumatic, as well as an assault that occurs in present time. A few issues I have with this though. Her brothers take it upon themselves to lie to Evie about things that directly affect her. They make assumptions about her mental capacity and strength, and they smother her with overprotectiveness. I also really disliked the fact that they shared her story with their friends/teammates without asking her first… circle back to lying to her and being over protective.
Her brothers, while they have good intensions, really don’t seem like great guys. You learn what they did to trigger the events that led to her assault in high school. But you also learn that they too, like to fuck around and have constant hook-ups at school. To me it felt like they really didn’t learn anything about themselves as a result of what happened to Evie and just forged forward without thinking about their behavior and how it can negatively impact people in many different ways.
While the book is primarily told from Evie and Max's POV, we get chapters sprinkled in from the perspective of Chase and Hunter (the brothers), and Edi (Hunter's math tutor). While I'm all for multi-POV narration, these chapters weren't frequent enough that they felt natural with the story. I found myself being distracted by their chapters and they just felt like they didn’t quite fit.
The multi-POVs also add to the length of the book. At 457 pages… I feel it definitely could have been edited down to be shorter. This could have been done by eliminating those additional chapters, as well as not writing chapters from Evie and Max's POV of the same timeframe. It felt like going backwards in the story at times.
Overall, this was a good story with unique characters, and a well done healing journey with our main character Evie. Despite my dislikes, these were small on the scale of things and I'd still recommend this book!
I received an advanced copy of this ebook, but the review is my own.
Tags: sports romance, hockey romance, brothers best friend, secret relationship, guy falls first
Spice: 3 peppers
April 26, 2023
Evie: Dimples and her Devil Tropes to look forward to:
📕First in series
🏒College Hockey
💖Brothers' Best Friend
✨He falls first
🔥Steam, spice, and sex positivity
😮Dark surprises along the way
Evie Wilton has done the work and paid her dues in facing the trauma that has scarred her for the past three years. She’s ready to face the world and reunite with her other halves, her triplet brothers Hunter and Chase at Havenwood University for her junior year of college. She wants to make connections, build friendships and possibly find love. The one thing she didn’t anticipate was Max Harmon, her brothers’ best friend and hockey team mate. He is a hockey god who knows his worth and thrives in the attention showered upon him from all angles. What Max doesn’t expect is to fall head first of his best friends’ sister and have his world reshaped by a woman on the mend. When Evie’s past comes back to haunt her, she, Max, her brothers, and their friends have to face the storm together.
From the moment I began Evie: Dimples and her Devil, I was captivated. Evie’s story is a compelling one of facing pain, trauma, and earning redemption. Her strength and knowledge and value of her self-worth, as well as her understanding to face her trauma head on are truly inspiring. And Max. Well… His blasé attitude to life before he meets Evie is uninspiring, but his draw to her and his f*ck all attitude to the consequences for falling for his best friends' and teammates' sister is inspiring. He quickly finds purpose in his life that goes beyond his own self-importance and becomes the best of book boyfriend material.
As a reader, I was invested in every one’s own story and how they supported Evie and Max. The supporting characters each shine bright in their own ways and draw you in to the story almost as fast as Evie and Max do. I’m looking forward to seeing the growth of each character and the different couples as each of their stories are shared.
Just a fair warning: the author has shared triggers that could go off reading this story--if at any point while reading this, you feel triggered by what you're reading, stop reading it! Your well-being is more important than finishing a book. For myself, personally, I really wanted to see how Evie worked through her trauma in re-engaging into the world, and I got so much more than that. Evie and Max are relationship goals, and I hope that everyone gives themselves a chance to fall in love with Evie: Dimple and Her Devil.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
*I've read the original ARC and the revised version, and I can tell you that this finalized version of Evie: Dimples and Her Devil is the best version to date.
📕First in series
🏒College Hockey
💖Brothers' Best Friend
✨He falls first
🔥Steam, spice, and sex positivity
😮Dark surprises along the way
Evie Wilton has done the work and paid her dues in facing the trauma that has scarred her for the past three years. She’s ready to face the world and reunite with her other halves, her triplet brothers Hunter and Chase at Havenwood University for her junior year of college. She wants to make connections, build friendships and possibly find love. The one thing she didn’t anticipate was Max Harmon, her brothers’ best friend and hockey team mate. He is a hockey god who knows his worth and thrives in the attention showered upon him from all angles. What Max doesn’t expect is to fall head first of his best friends’ sister and have his world reshaped by a woman on the mend. When Evie’s past comes back to haunt her, she, Max, her brothers, and their friends have to face the storm together.
From the moment I began Evie: Dimples and her Devil, I was captivated. Evie’s story is a compelling one of facing pain, trauma, and earning redemption. Her strength and knowledge and value of her self-worth, as well as her understanding to face her trauma head on are truly inspiring. And Max. Well… His blasé attitude to life before he meets Evie is uninspiring, but his draw to her and his f*ck all attitude to the consequences for falling for his best friends' and teammates' sister is inspiring. He quickly finds purpose in his life that goes beyond his own self-importance and becomes the best of book boyfriend material.
As a reader, I was invested in every one’s own story and how they supported Evie and Max. The supporting characters each shine bright in their own ways and draw you in to the story almost as fast as Evie and Max do. I’m looking forward to seeing the growth of each character and the different couples as each of their stories are shared.
Just a fair warning: the author has shared triggers that could go off reading this story--if at any point while reading this, you feel triggered by what you're reading, stop reading it! Your well-being is more important than finishing a book. For myself, personally, I really wanted to see how Evie worked through her trauma in re-engaging into the world, and I got so much more than that. Evie and Max are relationship goals, and I hope that everyone gives themselves a chance to fall in love with Evie: Dimple and Her Devil.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
*I've read the original ARC and the revised version, and I can tell you that this finalized version of Evie: Dimples and Her Devil is the best version to date.
March 15, 2023
Evie is a middle triplet with a love of spicy vampire fiction, checkered converse and M&M's. She suffers a horrendous sexual assault 3 years ago (read TW). After years of therapy and support groups she decides she is ready to face the world and move out and start attending school with her brothers.
Max is a star hockey player with aspirations to be drafted in to the NHL along with his best friends Hunter and Chase (Evie's triplet brothers). He is devilishly handsome and has his pick of the ladies but doesn't want to focus on anything but hockey.
When Max meets Evie he is immediately obsessed with her quirky style, her dimples, and the fact that she is nothing like the carbon copies of most of the girls on campus. He cannot stop himself from trying to get to know her better despite the 'bro code' of not messing around with your best friends sister! Evie is equally enamoured by the handsome and sexy Max and the pair embark on a secret relationship.
I really enjoyed this book, Evie and Max were such adorable characters and there is not an ounce of bad in either of them. Evie's sexual assault leaves her with many anxiety issues and these are very well described and great care is taken in ensuring that Evie is a very believable character having gone through what she has gone through (read Trigger warnings as the sexual assault is described and talked about in detail from multiple view points). Reading her account if what happened made me cry and the way she has fought to over come it was very realistically portrayed. The way Max reacts to her issues and supports her is absolutely perfect too and really heartwarming.
One thing that set this book aside from any others I have ready is that it had multiple POV not just the two main characters. Both brothers and several friends (and enemies) also have their own chapters and I found myself almost as interested in their stories as Max and Evie's. I am looking forward to reading more about them in their own books.
All in all a fantastic first novel!
Max is a star hockey player with aspirations to be drafted in to the NHL along with his best friends Hunter and Chase (Evie's triplet brothers). He is devilishly handsome and has his pick of the ladies but doesn't want to focus on anything but hockey.
When Max meets Evie he is immediately obsessed with her quirky style, her dimples, and the fact that she is nothing like the carbon copies of most of the girls on campus. He cannot stop himself from trying to get to know her better despite the 'bro code' of not messing around with your best friends sister! Evie is equally enamoured by the handsome and sexy Max and the pair embark on a secret relationship.
I really enjoyed this book, Evie and Max were such adorable characters and there is not an ounce of bad in either of them. Evie's sexual assault leaves her with many anxiety issues and these are very well described and great care is taken in ensuring that Evie is a very believable character having gone through what she has gone through (read Trigger warnings as the sexual assault is described and talked about in detail from multiple view points). Reading her account if what happened made me cry and the way she has fought to over come it was very realistically portrayed. The way Max reacts to her issues and supports her is absolutely perfect too and really heartwarming.
One thing that set this book aside from any others I have ready is that it had multiple POV not just the two main characters. Both brothers and several friends (and enemies) also have their own chapters and I found myself almost as interested in their stories as Max and Evie's. I am looking forward to reading more about them in their own books.
All in all a fantastic first novel!
April 23, 2023
It is important for me to start by saying you should really read the trigger warnings before starting this book. It is not just some warm-fuzzy young lovers hockey romance, it has a lot of emotional components. There is sexual assault, PTSD, 18+ spiciness, and anxiety/depression. This a beautiful story about surviving and overcoming a painful past for a young girl who suffered at the hands of her attackers.
Evie's story is not pretty, it is sad, overwhelming, and, to be quite honest, heartbreaking, but watching her rise above it all and find her ability to trust again and get out of her comfort zone was empowering. Especially when Max crashes into her life and surprises himself when he wears his heart on his sleeve for this girl. Evie puts herself out there to heal with her siblings and build friendships which made my heart swell for her even when there were plenty of moments while I read this book when I had tears in my eyes and even moments of rage wanting to jump through my Kindle and kick some asses too.
Max is a playboy hockey star who doesn't do relationships until a certain brunette with a set of freckles and dimples takes his breath away. She is not his normal type; I think that is what I like most about this story.
The spice between Evie and the love she has for smutty books is my absolute favorite. She lives all our fictional fantasies by letting those smutty books help guide her sexual desires. *Insert wink here*
Thank you, Rose, for this ARC opportunity, I know there were challenges with the first run, but you did an awesome job telling Evie's story, and I can't wait to see what Chase and Red get up to. Plus, I literally need to know more about Hunter and Edi.....It's killing me. *sad face*
Just a few favorite quotes:
"Does he know I think his friend is Damon Salvatore level hot with those blue eyes and dark hair?"
"It's you, Dimples. I like you a whole hell of a lot."
"The look of love on her face hits me harder than any body-check, penalty shot, or game-winning goal ever could."
Evie's story is not pretty, it is sad, overwhelming, and, to be quite honest, heartbreaking, but watching her rise above it all and find her ability to trust again and get out of her comfort zone was empowering. Especially when Max crashes into her life and surprises himself when he wears his heart on his sleeve for this girl. Evie puts herself out there to heal with her siblings and build friendships which made my heart swell for her even when there were plenty of moments while I read this book when I had tears in my eyes and even moments of rage wanting to jump through my Kindle and kick some asses too.
Max is a playboy hockey star who doesn't do relationships until a certain brunette with a set of freckles and dimples takes his breath away. She is not his normal type; I think that is what I like most about this story.
The spice between Evie and the love she has for smutty books is my absolute favorite. She lives all our fictional fantasies by letting those smutty books help guide her sexual desires. *Insert wink here*
Thank you, Rose, for this ARC opportunity, I know there were challenges with the first run, but you did an awesome job telling Evie's story, and I can't wait to see what Chase and Red get up to. Plus, I literally need to know more about Hunter and Edi.....It's killing me. *sad face*
Just a few favorite quotes:
"Does he know I think his friend is Damon Salvatore level hot with those blue eyes and dark hair?"
"It's you, Dimples. I like you a whole hell of a lot."
"The look of love on her face hits me harder than any body-check, penalty shot, or game-winning goal ever could."
August 20, 2023
So, before I jump in to why I couldn’t put this book down, there are a few things you should know: As a romance reader there are three big things I care about when I read a book: The point of view (POV). Who is telling the story? The plot. Is it predictable? Has it been done before? The spice. Is there any? How soon? How spicy? That being said – this checked ALL the boxes for me! When I say I couldn’t put it down, I mean it. If you’re interested in reading more about why I’ve given it FIVE STARS, please read on.
Evie: Dimples & her Devil (or, just “Evie”) is told from two primary points of view, by the female main character (Evie) and male main character (Max), as well as supporting roles from the FMC’s TWIN brothers, Hunter and Chase. There is also a chapter from another character’s POV near the end. . . but I’m not giving that away 😉 I prefer character POV because I feel like I really get to know the characters better. The character building is phenomenal, and the author wasted no time jumping in! I could sit here and rant for days about my love for these characters, but I won’t. I just ordered my signed copy and stickers from Etsy like a good bookish girl, so I’m good 😊
I only found one element of the plot to be predictable, and that was solely based on the fact that the FMC was so well written. I am not going to summarize the plot because you can get that from the blurb/synopsis. I did look around for trigger warnings, and, while I may have missed it somewhere, there are mentions of sexual/physical assault, so you’ve been warned. I keep saying that this isn’t your average hockey romance. . . because it isn’t. This FMC and her story are something else and I really hope you get to know her!
The spice was HOT! The characters have that something and I still want more of it! It’s a solid 4/5. I reserve 5/5 for next-level spice (all that freaky ish). This is not a slow burn. Even though I’m not a huge fan of slow burn, even if it was, I loved these characters so much I would’ve waited ‘til the last quarter for the heat!
Evie: Dimples & her Devil (or, just “Evie”) is told from two primary points of view, by the female main character (Evie) and male main character (Max), as well as supporting roles from the FMC’s TWIN brothers, Hunter and Chase. There is also a chapter from another character’s POV near the end. . . but I’m not giving that away 😉 I prefer character POV because I feel like I really get to know the characters better. The character building is phenomenal, and the author wasted no time jumping in! I could sit here and rant for days about my love for these characters, but I won’t. I just ordered my signed copy and stickers from Etsy like a good bookish girl, so I’m good 😊
I only found one element of the plot to be predictable, and that was solely based on the fact that the FMC was so well written. I am not going to summarize the plot because you can get that from the blurb/synopsis. I did look around for trigger warnings, and, while I may have missed it somewhere, there are mentions of sexual/physical assault, so you’ve been warned. I keep saying that this isn’t your average hockey romance. . . because it isn’t. This FMC and her story are something else and I really hope you get to know her!
The spice was HOT! The characters have that something and I still want more of it! It’s a solid 4/5. I reserve 5/5 for next-level spice (all that freaky ish). This is not a slow burn. Even though I’m not a huge fan of slow burn, even if it was, I loved these characters so much I would’ve waited ‘til the last quarter for the heat!
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